The airspace in the open, multilevel faux-Victorian sports bar Old Town Social is so thoroughly and discordantly saturated with flat-screen TV signals I’m convinced the design scheme is intended to simulate the internal torments of a schizophrenic. Some sight lines are so crowded by moving images that it’s almost like being in a fun house hall of mirrors. It’s a painfully annoying environment to have to endure to get a taste of chef Jared Van Camp’s terrific house-made charcuterie.
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It’s high time this art was allowed to flourish in Chicago, where a restrictive regulatory environment forces many practitioners to work underground. With ten different selections at the nucleus of his menu, Van Camp has moved into the vanguard, using local heritage pork and offering it at accessible prices, $16 for a “collection” of four servings. The choices are varied: longer-cured salamis like spicy soppressata and aromatic finocchiona share the bill with rillettes, country paté, and headcheese (unthreateningly listed in Italian, as coppa di testa) as well as two beefier options (pastrami and peperone). Complementing these meats are a dozen mostly raw-milk cheeses from surrounding states (and a few from beyond), themselves meant to be sampled with a few of a dozen more counterpoints—try the smoky grape must-cooked candied pumpkin arrope.
Old Town Social is a beer-focused bar, with 16 offerings on draft, many more bottles, and a short seasonal cocktail menu—but Van Camp’s curing operation is the ace in the hole. —Mike Sula
Of the more than a dozen pizzas, we tried the quattro stagioni, which arrived with the puffed, blistered crust spilling over the sides of the large plate. The shaved prosciutto crudo, fresh mushrooms, pitted black olives, and artichokes were high quality, even if they were evenly distributed over the smear of tomato sauce and melt of fresh mozzarella rather than placed in the traditional four sections. Grigliattina mista, one of a handful of hot appetizers, brought together carefully grilled shrimp, baby octopus, and tender squid on a bed of greens with a restrained drizzle of balsamic reduction. Pastas, listed as primi piatti but sized as main courses, ran to the familiar except for the gnocchetti sardi, which reflects the chef’s Sardinian heritage. Homey and satisfying, the firm baby gnocchi were enveloped by a robust tomato-based lamb ragout finished with pecorino cheese. Ravioli di ricotta, filled with slightly watery Swiss chard and hardly any cheese, were less successful.
Gemini Bistro 2075 N. Lincoln, 773-525-2522, geminibistrochicago.com
Orvieto 2200 N. Ashland, 773-395-0066, jazzitup.com
